A reminder that over the next two weeks the library will be hosting free Quicklaw and Westlaw training sessions. The first session, on Westlaw, will be held next Wednesday, August 31st from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. New Articling students are strongly encouraged to attend the upcoming sessions, which are a great overview of how to use specialized tools to find relevant cases quickly and efficiently. The training sessions are also a great opportunity for lawyers, as they now apply towards 9 of the 12 hours of annual CPD, with each hour of training equaling one hour of CPD. And they are free! The sessions will take place on the following dates:

Westlaw Tools, Wednesday, August 31st, 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Skip the keyword search. Learn how to use the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest, Canadian Abridgment, and KeyCite features to very quickly narrow and find the most relevant case law, legislation, and commentary that you need. Westlaw basics will also be reviewed.

Quicklaw Tools, Wednesday, September 7th, 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Let them narrow the search results for you. Learn how to use Quicklaw’s Canada Digest, Canada Quantums, and Quickcite features to search within the most relevant case law, legislation, and commentary, instead of starting from scratch. Quicklaw basics will also be reviewed.

As always, the sessions are held in the CCLA Library, located in Room 2004 on the main floor of the Ottawa Courthouse, at 161 Elgin Street. If you’d like to attend or have any questions, please send a quick email to the Jennifer Walker at jwalker@ccla-abcc.ca. Walk-ins are also always welcome. We hope to see you there!

To those that have heard that there may be a changeover at the CCLA Library this fall, I can confirm that the rumours are true! In early August, my husband was offered an attractive job opportunity in Vancouver, and as a result I will be leaving my position at the CCLA as Reference Librarian and relocating to the west coast in early September. I am very excited for this new opportunity, but it is, of course, very bittersweet as I will miss the colleagues, clients, and friends that I have met at the CCLA a great deal. I wanted to take this opportunity to express how valuable my experience at the CCLA has been, and thank its staff, board, and community for the opportunity to work and grow at the library for the last few years.

Not all of you may know that I have had two incarnations at the CCLA. I began working in the library as a Library Assistant shortly after I completed my undergraduate degree in 2007. The CCLA provided me with my first professional, full-time job after graduating, with the added advantage of the chance to work in a library. At the time, I knew that I wanted to complete a Masters or post-graduate degree, but wasn’t yet sure what subject I wanted to pursue. Library and Information Science was on my short list, and the CCLA Library provided the perfect environment to learn about the degree from real, live, working, professional librarians. I learned a lot about the legal and library profession during my first stint. The librarians at the CCLA were very supportive and encouraging of my interest, and were happy to teach me how to perform legal research and give me opportunities to learn and practice. After a year or so, I left the CCLA to pursue my M.L.I.S. degree at the University of Western Ontario, returning briefly during my time off to assist with the library’s collection. Upon graduation, a job opportunity at the library conveniently became available, and I returned to the CCLA as Reference Librarian.

Looking back and knowing how difficult it can be to obtain experience in a law library setting, and how rare it is to get to try a career on for size before actively pursuing it, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity provided to me by the CCLA. The experience allowed me to pursue librarianship with the knowledge and confidence that it was the right career path for me, and helped me to successfully hit the ground running and launch my career upon graduating. If not for the CCLA, it is difficult to say whether or not I would be a librarian today.

Since my first day as an employee, I have seen the organization undergo dramatic change. These changes include an aggressive overhaul of the CCLA’s operations, technology, web presence, knowledge management, and library collection and services, just to name only a few initiatives. The results have been nothing short of impressive, and I am very proud of where the CCLA is today. Of course, there is still much to do, which is why the individual that takes over my position will be very fortunate. The planning of the upcoming library and barrister’s lounge renovations has been very interesting, and I can only imagine that the actual process will be even more exciting. Other new projects are also being planned, and the new Reference Librarian will have plenty of opportunities for creativity, growth, and leadership. These opportunities are the reasons why the CCLA is a great place to work.

In closing, I’d like to bid a fond farewell to the colleagues and clients that I have formed relationships with over the last few years. My thanks to all of you for your support and friendship and for helping me grow from a law library newbie to a confident and professional librarian. I greatly appreciate the time that I have spent with you, and know that it will aide me greatly as I embark on new professional challenges.

Katie Tribe’s last day at the CCLA Library is Friday, August 26th, 2011. To get in touch with her before then, please stop by the library or email her at ktribe@ccla-abcc.ca.

The next time you stop by the CCLA Library, check out the new feature that is now available on all the computer desktops. We recently created a CCLA Library Toolkit, which consolidates all the library’s databases and online resources into one clean, organized, and user-friendly screen. The Toolkit ensures that all the resources you need are easy to find and in one place, and offers a description of each product so that you know what content and tools are available inside.

The Toolkit’s resources can only be accessed on the computers in the library, but we’d love for you to take a peek at the layout by clicking this link; we’re very happy with the way it turned out. Look for the CCLA Library Toolkit icon the next time you’re on the library computers. We hope you’ll stop by to check it out!

Great news for all you lawyers out there! The CCLA Library’s Quicklaw and Westlaw training sessions are now accredited by the Law Society of Upper Canada for Continuing Professional Development (CPD)! This means that you can attend the library’s free training sessions on these powerful legal databases and apply them towards 9 of your 12 hours of annual CPD. Training sessions usually take place on or around the lunch hour in the library and are about an hour long. Each hour of training will equal one hour of CPD!

Free Quicklaw and Westlaw training sessions are planned for the following dates and times this fall. If you are interested in registering, please send me a quick email at ktribe@ccla-abcc.ca. Provided there is enough space, walk-ins are also always welcome.

Westlaw Tools, Wednesday, August 31^st, 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Skip the keyword search. Learn how to use the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest, Canadian Abridgment, and KeyCite features to very quickly narrow and find the most relevant case law, legislation, and commentary that you need. Westlaw basics will also be reviewed.

Quicklaw Tools, Wednesday, September 7^th, 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Let them narrow the search results for you. Learn how to use Quicklaw’s Canada Digest, Canada Quantums, and Quickcite features to search within the most relevant case law, legislation, and commentary, instead of starting from scratch. Quicklaw basics will also be reviewed.

The CCLA Library is happy to add more dates this summer if there is interest, and we suspect that there will be now that the sessions have CPD accreditation. If you are interested in seeing more sessions this summer, send me a quick email and let me know. If there is enough interest, we’ll certainly add more dates before the fall.

For more information on CPD requirements, where to acquire CPD, and how to report it, check out the CCLA Website’s CPD Information page. Please note that the above training sessions may only be applied to the 9 Substantive Hours, which may address substantive or procedural law topics or related skills. They cannot be applied to the 3 Professionalism Hours, which must be on topics related to professional responsibility, ethics or practice management, or to the New Member requirement.

Last week, the CCLA’s Library Technician, Amanda Elliott, and Reference Librarian, Kaitlyn Tribe (that’s me!) attended the annual Canadian Association of Law Libraries Conference, which took place in Calgary, Alberta. The conference, entitled Scaling New Heights, had an excellent and robust program this year, filled with information that we hope to apply here at the CCLA Library. Program highlights included collection development in the digital age, the introduction of e-books to law libraries, new formats for training and programming, and ideas for applying green principles in a law library setting.

This year, I was co-chair of CALL’s Courthouse and Law Society Libraries Special Interest Group, along with Anne Bowers of the Northumberland County Law Association Library and Michel-Adrien Sheppard of the Supreme Court of Canada Library. The position provided an excellent opportunity to meet Courthouse and Law Society librarians from across the country, share knowledge and ideas, and discuss shared issues and experiences across law libraries. I found the position extremely valuable as a vehicle for professional development and very much enjoyed being involved in the conference and program. I will be staying on as chair next year, and the CCLA’s Head Librarian, Jennifer Walker, will be chairing CALL’s Education Committee.

As co-chair, I organized and moderated a session entitled Going Green at your Law Library, featuring members of Calgary Public Library’s Eco-Action Team. Calgary Public Library is a leader in implementing green initiatives in Canada’s library community, and has won multiple awards for green marketing and efforts such as recycling and waste reduction. The session addressed the unique challenges law libraries face when attempting to implement green initiatives, such as their very specific collections and user base, and lack of control over building practices in the courthouses they are housed in. We learned how to develop an eco-plan for the library, and tackle complex issues such as recycling, waste reduction, and procurement of sustainable materials. The library staff certainly hope to apply some of the lessons learned at this session to the renovation that the CCLA is currently planning.

Another valuable aspect of the conference is the opportunity to meet and speak with a wide variety of legal vendors and publishers from across the country. Thomson Carswell, Lexis Nexis, and other publishers large and small have a dedicated presence at the conference, offering plenty of opportunity for liaison, discussion, and questions. New organizations and innovators are also present, and we are very excited about the new research products that they are developing for the legal community. We hope to be able to share them with you here at the CCLA Library.

Overall, the conference was an extremely valuable experience, and Amanda and I very much enjoyed it. Stay tuned for news from Head Librarian, Jennifer Walker, who will be attending the American Association of Law Libraries Conference this summer.

In the coming weeks, new Articling and Summer Students will be joining firms and sole practitioners to begin their placements. The CCLA Library would like to invite members of the legal community to schedule tours of the library for their new students. Tours are a great opportunity for students to meet library staff and learn about library resources, training opportunities, and services which may support and assist them during their articles. They can also sign up for the CCLA Listserv and begin learning about news, events, and opportunities in the East Region.

Please contact Kaitlyn Tribe, the CCLA Library’s Reference Librarian, at ktribe@ccla-abcc.ca to schedule a tour. The following tour dates and times have been prescheduled for your convenience. Please note that if none of the below tour times work for you, you may contact Kaitlyn to schedule a tour for an alternate time.

May
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, May 5th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, May 12th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, May 24th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, May 26th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM

June
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, June 9th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, June 16th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM

August
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, August 4th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, August 11th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, August 16th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, August 18th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, August 25th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM

September
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, September 8th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, September 13th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, September 15th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM
Thursday, September 29th, 2011 – 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM

We look forward to meeting and working with your students in the coming months! Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions about library resources, services, and training opportunities available to students.

A quick reminder of the free Quicklaw training session taking place today, Wednesday, May 30th, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM in the CCLA Library! There is still room in the session, so feel free to stop by and sit on the session if you happen to be in the Courthouse. All are welcome!

As always, the session is in the CCLA Library, located in Room 2004 on the main floor of the Ottawa Courthouse, at 161 Elgin Street. Just send me a quick email if you have any questions. Please feel free to bring your lunch; I’ll have some iced tea and snacks laid out as well. Hope to see you there!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the CCLA Library’s Westlaw training session earlier this month, and to Josée Provost for teaching us about the useful tools on Westlaw, along with some techniques for making research faster and more effective. If you missed the session, there is still another learning opportunity happening at the library later this month. Join us next week on Wednesday, March 30th from 1:00 to 2:00 PM for a session with Ron Jones on LexisNexis Quicklaw. Send me a quick email if you’re interested in attending, or feel free to stop by the library if you happen to be in the Courthouse that day.

A few people inquired about training and learning materials that might assist them in lieu of attending the session, so I thought I’d share links to some great free online resources offered by both Quicklaw and Westlaw.

To access Westlaw Canada support materials, including quick reference cards, guides, learning tutorials, and frequently asked questions, check out the Learning & Support section of Westlaw’s website by clicking here. Personally, my favourite features on Westlaw are its Keyciting for cases and legislation and the incredibly useful Canadian Encyclopedic Digest, so I suggest reading about those features in the training guide, or asking me about them the next time you’re in the library.

For Quicklaw support materials, including training demos, quick reference guides, training manuals, and cheat sheets, check out the Training Materials section of the LexisNexis site by clicking here. The training demos are particularly helpful and well done in this section, and I suggest checking out the demos entitled Advanced Terms and Connectors and Noting Up the Law if you aren’t already confident using these features.

As always, please feel free to get in touch with me or any of the other library staff if you have questions about these databases or any other resources in the library.

Hope to see you at the Quicklaw session next week on Wednesday, March 30th, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. The session will be held in the CCLA Library, located in Room 2004 on the main floor of the Ottawa Courthouse, at 161 Elgin Street. Please feel free to bring your lunch; iced tea and snacks will be served!

As law librarians, Jen and I spend a lot of time thinking about legal resources – we’re constantly locating useful research materials for people, sourcing new books and electronic resources for the library’s collection, and thinking about instructional resources that we can create to assist you in doing your research. It’s only natural, then, for us to be a part of the CCLA’s Website Content Development Committee, which helps to source content and resources to be posted on the CCLA Website.

Of course, not just any resource can be posted online due to copyright (otherwise, we might just have a field day scanning legal textbooks and magazines for your viewing pleasure). Luckily for us, though, there is a lot of free and useful legal information available on the web these days, including blogs, research sites, not-for-profit and government databases, and scholarly legal journals and magazines.

Jen and I try to keep in the know by following local blogs, sharing resources with other librarians, and keeping track of the legal community on Twitter, but we’re sure that there must be great blogs and resources out there that we’re missing out on. That’s why we’d love to hear about your favourite legal website, blog, or online resource. If there’s something out there that you find useful or interesting, please drop us a line and let us know about it! Send us an email, message us on Twitter, or leave a comment below.